The Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Foundation has awarded its 2016 Thomas O. Myers, Jr. and Shirley L. Myers Endowed Scholarships to Justin Ferek of Carol Stream and Colleen Maloney of Elmhurst. The scholarships are awarded every year to children of Elmhurst Hospital and Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare employees who are pursuing careers in healthcare.

Ferek and Maloney were each presented a $5,000 check at the Myers Scholarship Award Luncheon held August 3 at Elmhurst Hospital. A scholarship committee chooses the winners each year based on academic achievement, evidence of leadership and community service, and a written essay describing their decision to pursue a career in healthcare.

Ferek is a 2016 graduate of Wheaton Academy. He plans to attend the University of Wisconsin to pursue a degree in pharmacy. He has served as a tutor for English as a Second Language students, mentored freshman students at Wheaton Academy and volunteered for groups, including Refuge for Women, Feed My Starving Children, Kentucky Soup Kitchen and Wayside Cross Mission. His mother, Mary Ferek, is a pharmacist at Elmhurst Hospital.

Maloney is a 2013 graduate of Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep in Elmhurst. This is the second year in a row she's received the Myers Scholarship. Maloney will be a senior this fall at Saint Louis University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing with the goal of becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse or Nurse Practitioner. She previously volunteered for three years at Elmhurst Hospital. Her mother, Susan Maloney, works in the Family Birthing Center at the hospital.

The Myers Endowed Scholarships were first awarded in 2004 in appreciation for the high quality and compassionate care provided by the staff of Elmhurst Hospital to those living and working in the communities it serves. The scholarships are presented each year to two students who are the son or daughter of an Elmhurst Hospital employee and pursuing a degree in healthcare.

Founded in 1980, the EMH Foundation offers many giving opportunities and annual special events designed to support the hospital's programs and facilities, including the Autumn Affair, Hope Lives Here Luncheon, Chef Fest, Reindeer Route Housewalk and Love Lights program. For more information, visit www.EMHFoundation.org or call (331) 221-0388.

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